Suikoden: Dawn of Odyssey
by benderboyboy
Summary: A war was about to break out in the country of Aleynonlia, a war which has span thousands of years. Now, a group of heroes will put an end to this war, while unveiling the hidden past of their beloved country. OCs centric.
1. Prologue: The Send Off

Author's note: People may have known there was a previous Suikoden Trilogy story which I've posted but is no longer on

**Author's note: People may have known there was a previous Suikoden Trilogy story which I've posted but is no longer on. That's because, I took the liberty of rewriting it. The characters are mostly going to be same as the previous trilogy but plot wise have changed.**

_The Dawn of Odyssey_

_Have you ever heard of the War of Ruins?_

_Well, you should._

_It's a war that spans over hundreds of years, waiting for an end._

_And indeed, an end has come…_

Prologue: The Send Off

He stood on the deck of the ship, looking at the sun setting in the distance. A boy who looks no older than fifteen who wore a dark green shirt with a black jacket and blue jeans torn around the end. His long black hair made his green eyes looks translucent, covering his ears and touching the collar of his jacket. Two swords dangled beside him in their scabbards, untouched. His right hand shone with a faint green light through his half glove as another teen his age closed in on him from behind.

"We'll be reaching soon Adam. The rest are waiting inside." The teen said.

He wore a white, unstained singlet and high quality black leather pants. His left hand shone purple through the bandages which wrapped all the way up to his shoulder.

"Our journey ended five years ago Koran, and here we are, returning to where it all began…all of us." Adam said.

"Are you regretting your decision to return?"

"…Maybe, I'm still afraid the battle would spark off again."

"We're still alive right?" Koran replied. "So there's no chance of that happening."

**XXX**

"Come on Adam, we're going to be late!" A teenage girl shouted from the streets.

"Alright, alright, I'm coming Yun!" Adam yelled back.

Yun is a fifteen year old friend of Adam's and the city's best and youngest archer due to her father being a hunter and always taking her out on hunts. Her hair is short jet black with a little shade of brown. Wearing baggy shorts and casual clothes of peach, she ran up the stairs of the inn to drag her friend down.

_**Yun **_**has joined the party.**

Adam managed to grab his jacket before Yun burst through the door and pulled him out of his room, much to his protest. They gave the innkeeper, Lucas, a wave goodbye before heading out the door. Outside on the streets, people crammed the road to get a look at the carriage seen in the distance.

"Where's Ryan?" Adam asked as they search frantically up and down the streets.

"Over there!" Yun exclaimed, pointing towards a spear held high in the air on the other side of the streets. They recognized it immediately as a blue feather stuck out from the tip.

"How are we going to get all the way over there?" As he said it, a rope seemingly dropped from the sky and standing above them, is Valentine, smiling mischievously down at them. The both of them smiled back and climbed up the rope to the roof of the inn.

_**Valentine **_**has joined the party.**

Valentine is another friend of Adam's. Her hair is of middle length and dark brown and tied in a ponytail. Her yellow clothes blinded Adam temporarily and her black denim pants seem to fit in with her bright top unusually.

"I'm not so sure about this!" Adam complained as held on to the top step of the ladder supported by the two girls beneath. "I nearly got killed the last time."

"Trust me, it's going to work." Valentine said cheerily.

The two girls lowered the ladder over the crowded streets as Adam hung on for dear life. There was a sudden drop and Adam found himself dangling from the ladder as the two ends stayed on the opposing roofs. Most people were to busy, trying to push their way through the crowd towards the carriage while others who saw the scene, was quickly pushed away by the crowd. Adam released himself from the ladder and landed beside Ryan as the two girls on the roof was seen laughing at releasing the ladder early.

_**Yun **_**and **_**Valentine **_**have left the party.**

"Come on, you're going to be late!" Ryan said, grabbing Adam by the hand and dragging him through the alley.

_**Ryan **_**has joined the party.**

Ryan is a long time friend of Adam. He's a spear user in the town's patrol and a darn good one at that. He wears a brown singlet and a pair of leather gauntlet followed by a brownish green cargo pants. His hair is a natural color of bright brown which is spiked up. Some say he is a monster as he sometimes exerts super human strength but what they don't know is his past. Ryan is a quarter Lycan from his father's side thus he doesn't act or looks like one but still retaining certain Lycan traits.

"Oh and before I forget, here!" Ryan tossed a heavy sack at Adam. Adam caught it and opened it up. Inside was his twin blade, Sonien and Sonar. Ryan gave him a thumb up and turned a corner. They took another left and found themselves facing the carriage as royal guards wearing casual armor tried to push back the crowds.

Adam climbed onto Ryan's back as he charged into the crowds. As he neared the carriage, Adam stood up and the window opened. He took care to balance himself before jumping through the window. Ryan stumbled out of the crowd, looking a little dazed.

_**Ryan **_**has left the party.**

"I see you made it." Said a teen who was sitting inside the carriage. Adam dusted his clothes and took a seat beside him. "I told you not to oversleep didn't I?"

"Shut up Blade," Adam said laughing. "I made it didn't I?"

"True."

Blade, a fencer of the Royal Knights of Bama. His age is well over his thirty's though he looks barely eighteen. Like Ryan, Blade has a troubling past. One in which he was turned into a vampire or at least, half of one. He has strangely, full control of his powers though they are all weaker than that of a normal vampire. He wears a full navy blue shirt and black long pants. His black silky hair is combed to the left to hide his red eye while revealing the right one which is blue. His rapier, Brotherhood was given to him by his deceased brother.

"Where's my dad?" Adam asked.

"He went ahead with your brothers, or did you forget again?" Blade smirked, raising a brow at Adam. Adam just laughed it off without a clear answer.

**Author's note: Alright, this thing is going to confuse those who read actually read the first attempt at the trilogy since it is going to be very different. Almost eighty percent different. Reviews would seriously be good since one of the reasons I did a rewrite was because there wasn't much reviews.**


	2. Chapter One: The First Meeting

_Aleynonlia is the country which holds the greatest military troops in the entire world. Outside forces dare not intervene for fear of their demise and trades are close to unneeded with the lands abundant crops and rich natural materials. It is here where the journey shall end after hundreds of years in the cycle of war._

Chapter One: The First Meeting

The carriage rock as the citizens of Bama rams through the crowd to get a better view. A bump in the road ejected Adam off his seat into the leather cushion opposite. He steadied himself and peek through the drawn curtains before turning back into his seat with a loud sigh.

"Is it really that big of a deal just to get a look at me?" Adam confided in his bodyguard.

Blade replied with an overly casual tone. "Well, hardly anyone has ever seen you before. They think you live in the big white castle back there." He ended with a gesture to the direction of where the castle lies.

Adam sighed again. "Why did my father have to ask me to live with the people in the first place?"

"You already know why."

"Yeah, yeah, he can't observe how the citizens act naturally if he's a King so he sends me to 'mingle' as a commoner." Adam explained to himself more than Blade.

"It's not that bad. You're just frustrated because of your fans. Don't worry; they'll clear up once we pass the Second Gate."

"Yeah, and after that we still have to make through another group of Adam's fan club. At this rate, we'll reach the First Gate when the sun burns out."

Bama is the country's capital surrounded by three large circular walls. In between each walls is a specific district and the tightness of security may vary. After the First Wall is the trade district or outer district with the First Gate located at the south. Securities there are limited only to a few soldiers and archers stationed at the wall and daily patrols by volunteers which includes Ryan, Valentine and the occasional, Yun. Traders and farmers gather there from across Aleynonlia to sell their wares and is one of the most thriving trade spot in the land.

Behind the Second Wall is the housing district or the middle district. The Second Gate is located to the north. Though people can enter and leave as they please; the security there is top notch as the district house nearly eighty percent of the citizens of Bama. The thousands of archers lined up at the wall and daily patrols with troops from Royal Knights in-training, one can hardly expect even a small pickpocket to go unnoticed. But of course, there are exceptions.

The Third Wall is the last line of defense for the Royals. Trained rune archers and knights stand guard at the wall while the Talon Calvary, founded by Adam's own eldest brother, Talon Law keeps watch over the people. The Talon Calvary is a group of riders trained in both sword and bow and being adepts at rune magic makes them one of the most formidable opponents in the land.

As Adam pondered over their predicament, an idea jumped at him and he immediately turned his attention back to Blade, hoping to gain his approval before executing the plan he had in mind. Even if some miracle was at work and the carefree Blade didn't agree, the young prince would go ahead with his plans anyway.

Blade caught Adam's stare and let out a loud sigh. Picking up his rapier from beside him, Adam smiled, knowing that Blade had got his point. "From that look, you've got another bright idea haven't you?" His voice filled with sarcasm over the word 'bright'.

Adam's smile grew wider and he kicked open a trapdoor in the floor which was build incase the carriage got attacked by bandits and the like so royalties could make a quick escape if possible. Blade sighed again, knocking the wall of the carriage with his knuckles three times to signal to the driver of their leave. Two knocks back told them the message was received.

"What was that about?" Adam asked with one of his foot through the trapdoor.

Blade replied with the same casual, joking voice, "That was the 'Prince had another stupid idea' knock."

_**Blade **_**has joined the party.**

Adam dropped onto the cold stone floor and rolled out from under the carriage followed swiftly by Blade. The two got on their feet as soon as they were out to avoid being too suspicious and being trampled and slowly made their way through the crowd.

Adam stumbled out on one foot, only to find Blade already out of the mess. The bodyguard gave a smile and walked on towards the Second Gate as Adam took one last look at the crowd following the empty carriage, not knowing that the one they had hoped to meet has already passed by half of them unnoticed.

**XXX**

The inn bustled with people going in and out, drinking and singing, merry making and the likes. There were groups of travelers gathered at different corners of the bar, discussing their next destination or just citizens coming in for a drink. A group of swordsman and archers, presumably bounty hunter gathered round a noticed board beside the entrance. They were speaking in hush whispers amongst themselves, deciding which target they should take first. A person, covered in a brown traveling coat the hood up entered into the fray of hunters.

Taking a quick sweep of the board, he snatched a poster seconds before another hand reached out to grab the same parchment. The picture was the face of a young man, around the early thirties with think styled back blond hair with what was presumed his name, Doyle printed in large bold letters on the top beside the reward money… two hundred million potch.

The cloaked stranger walked towards the counter where Lucas was cleaning out some of his beer mug. Lucas is the twenty four years old proprietor and barkeep of the Dancing Firefly, the most well known inn in Bama and residence to the elusive Third Prince, Adam. His daily work attire are always the same, a full black tuxedo with a white shirt inside gave him the look of a professional waiter.

By the time he reached the counter, half the hunters were looking at him with a mixed expression of curiosity and respect. Lucas took one look of the man in the picture and glaze into the deep purple eyes of the cloaked stranger.

The stranger let his hood down to reveal the face of a teenager who looks no older than sixteen. His brown hair is spiked up with multiple strands of white and he carried a look of total serenity.

"Doyle the Bandit King? What an interesting choice." Lucas said with an intrigued voice, his sound loud and clear, echoing in the minds of all who hears it. "Are you sure you want to take this guy?" the teen nodded and Lucas sigh. He slides a piece of rolled up parchment which contains the details on Doyle to the teen.

Just as the stranger was about to pick up the parchment, a hand appeared from the right and placed itself with the utmost gentleness onto the paper.

"You stole my target." Said the male teen the hand belonged to with an extremely casual voice. The other hunters looked at him with an equal amount of respect and curiosity as the cloaked teen.

The teen who interrupted the process wore tight light black jeans with grey sandals and dark leaf green shirt. The long black hair which nearly fully covered the eyes of equally pure black made it seems like you were looking into the night sky. The barrels of two silver revolvers dangled outward with the handles connected to long sheathes, presumably hiding the blades of twin swords hung around his brown traveling belt which also held a small money pouch in the front. Judging from the size of the two sheathes, the blades would most likely belongs to that of a katana.

"I would like it back." The teen said with the same casual voice to the stranger.

A smile spread across the stranger's face and in a flash, a saber was pulled from under the cloak and a slash was made. Lucas and the others in the bar expected blood but that was not the case. The teen had pulled his right gunblade out by three inches, blocking the blow of the saber. Both travelers could care less about the poster right now as their eyes met, black and purple, purple and black.

The stranger was left handed as he drew his blades with it. The hand was wrapped in bandages though there were seemingly no stains of blood or any form of injury.

"At least you have some decent fashion sense." The teen said, referring to the bandage. "It looks good."

The stranger smiled and the two pushed away from each other. The teen managed to fully draw his gunblade with the blade held in reverse like some samurais would with their katana. But once he looks up, he finds the stranger had already placed the tip of his saber inches away from his neck.

The stranger gave a smile to which the teen returned and he looked down. The teen had his right revolver pointed at the guts of the stranger. They were equally matched in skills. The teen sheathed his gunblades and took a step back.

"Fine, you win." He said, tired of the senseless conflict. He headed back towards the board and took the second highest bounty there. The hunters all made way for the skilled fighter.

The teen paid Lucas for the info who still looked stunned at the amazing display of swordplay he witnessed and headed for the door.

The teen looked back to the stranger, "See you around," A purple glow emitted from the bandaged arm of the stranger who looked at it in shock before turning his attention to the teen who, through the thick hair, had a glow of black coming from his forehead. "Koran." The teen finished, stepping out of the inn and disappeared into the bustling streets.

**XXX**

The bell rang as Adam and Blade stepped into the familiar provision shop ran by their friend Stephanie. The shop was just set up around four weeks ago and has been getting attention from the things it sell which are both reasonably cheap and of high quality. The interior of the shop is like all others. A large oak counter is the first thing a customer will see and behind it is a shelf full of jars of herbs and medicines alike. Another shelf is placed on the left against the wall which is stocked up to the point of nearly collapsing with products such as bread, sewing needles, cloth, small toys and the like. On the right is a long table lined with fresh fruits and vegetables. There is only one two by one meter window and it doesn't provide enough light so a lamb is dangled from the ceiling, its flame constantly burning.

A door behind the counter opened and out came Stephanie followed by one of the local farmer Tad.

Stephanie is eighteen years old and was the daughter of Teal, the lord of a small town in the west of Aleynonlia called Shivak. Teal died along his wife fifteen years ago or more exactly, murdered by Leon, a murderer now serving his time in prison. An orphan at young, Stephanie was taken in personally by Alton, Adam's father and the King. The reason was so as Teal was trying to safeguard a royal belonging which Leon attempted to steal and was killed because of his heroics. Alton, seeing as what belonged to him caused the death of a dear friend; he decided to take in Stephanie in other for her to have a better future. Just two years ago, she left the castle to earn her own living and finally ended opening up the shop she have today.

She wears a headband given to her by her mother which holds up her long silk black hair. Her eyes were of brown and she wears a white silk shirt with a medium length purple skirt. She is most liked by her customer for the fact that her smile is always true.

Tad, is a twenty eight years old farmer who lives west in the trade district behind the First Wall. He delivers fresh supplies of fruits and vegetable to Stephanie once a week and to others all around the capital on every other day. He wears a typical light brown farmer shirt and white knee length shorts which have been stained with mud from his work in the field. He has on, a straw hat which he made himself and never takes it off other than when he baths and sleeps.

"Oh, customers!" Stephanie exclaimed as she looks at two figure standing at the door, face hidden in shadows from the light of the street entering the dim store. "Welcome to- Oh, it's just you guys." She said disappointed with whom she saw once the door closed with the ringing of bells again.

"What do mean Oh?" Adam exclaimed in his own disappointment, emphasizing on the 'Oh'.

Stephanie smiled. "Just kidding guys. Now, what brings you here? Aren't you supposed to be on a carriage to Lottrinbram?"

"Adam here had another bright idea to ditch the carriage and head there on his own." Blade explained.

"There was bad traffic!" Adam retorted back.

"Well in any case," Stephanie continued. "I won't let you use Star." She ended firmly, aware of their intentions.

"What! Why not?" Adam exclaimed. "Everyone knows Star is the fastest horse in Bama!"

"Exactly!" Stephanie yelled in his face. "The last time you rode her out, she came back half dead!"

"It was only a little trip!"

"To Likala! That's one hell of a trip you went don't you think so?" Stephanie continued. "Do you even know how far that is?"

Tad cleared his throat loudly, surprising everyone as they nearly forgot he was there. "I've got a couple of steed back at the farm ready to go you know."

Adam was about to say something but Blade cut in, knowing fully well of what he was going to say. "We'll take the offer then." He told Tad.

_**Tad **_**joined the party.**

"See you next week then Tad and stay out of trouble you two." She said, directing her sentence to Adam who can only smile weakly.

Star of Destiny

Chitou Star, Folding Star: Tad

Weapon type: Hoe

Weapon name: Harvest

Element: Earth

Right hand rune: Earth Rune


	3. Chapter Two: The Secret Deal

_A king may rule the country, but in the end, it'll always be the people who rule the king. Bama stands for all this and more._

Chapter Two: The Secret Deal

Adam and Blade sat on the edge of the wooden cart dragged along by the horse which upon it sat Tad. The two dare not move any further back to make themselves more comfortable as fear of falling backward due to a bump in the road, flattening the produce laid in barrels on the cart. Blade and Adam were lucky one of the barrels was empty and they could put their weapons in, leaving their hands free to balance upon the shaky cart. They sat opposite each other, three barrels apart, back to back and facing the street. They watch as the citizens walked on for their daily chores. It was so peaceful. Adam could not help but smile and he was sure Blade was smiling too. It was one of those little things that Adam appreciated about living amongst the ordinary, a sense of simple peace.

They've passed the second wall quite some time ago. Now, they were leaving the busy streets and entering the less glamorous farming area. Tad's farm was just a thirty minutes walk from the last gate.

"Alright, we're here." Tad said, getting off the horse.

They pulled up just outside the small farm. Tad's farm was one of the seven farms located in Bama. It is perhaps the smallest of all and the land available was only able to plant a few seven rows of plants, each row was only around twenty meters long. The house was located beside the barn on the far right.

"Come on," Tad directed at the two. "I'll take you out back, the horses are kept there."

The trio took the long way right round to the back of the barn where a small stable held three magnificent steed. Two of them were of brown fur and auburn mane while the other was of a more rare color, black with white mane.

Tad let Adam and Blade to the two brown horses. "You can borrow these two." He told them.

"Can I have him?" Adam asks shamelessly, directing his request at the black creature.

Tad looked at it with cautious. "Sure, but I doubt it'll let you." He said with a mysterious tone. "Just take these two" He led the two brown horses out this time to signify his decision.

Adam, looking defeated, climbed onto one of the steeds followed swiftly by Blade on the other.

"See ya boy!" Adam rode up to line himself with the black horse and ran his hand through its mane. The creature gave a short neigh of comfort, much to Tad's surprise. "Bye Tad, see you in two weeks!"

Blade had already made his way towards the gate and Adam made his effort to follow. Tad raised his hand in an attempt to call out to Adam for some answers but it turned into a wave of goodbye as the duo waved back from the gate afar and made their way off.

"Guess I'll have to wait huh Bane?" He said to the last remaining horse.

Bane gave a loud neigh and turns his head away. Tad could not help but holds back a chuckle.

_**Tad**_** has left the party.**

**XXX**

"Did you find him?" Asked the man dressed in a black cloak. His black fringe is dangling wildly and covering his eyes. He sat on the bed in the inn, facing the desk opposite and the door to the left. A giant broadsword leaned against the foot of the bed.

Koran walked into the room, taking off his outer garment and hanging it on the chair in front of the desk, revealing a white singlet and long black leather pants. His bandage wrapped all the way up to his shoulder. He walked over and took out a roll of parchment and threw it at the cloaked man before slumping into the wall below the window. He could hear the bustling town outside as the cloaked man reads through the Intel.

_See you around, Koran._

That guy knew his name. And his rune was reacting to something. Koran raises his bandaged arm and looked at it as if he was inspecting a curio.

"Did something happen while you were out? You look dead tired." the man asked.

Koran looked up, the man still staring at the parchment. "No, nothing happened. I'm just not getting enough sleep, that's all. It's not something to worry about Zee."

"If you say so." Zee replied. "But just to let you know, you're a horrible liar."

Koran gave a weak smile and after a moment of rest and silence, he stood up again. He himself had already read the Intel and knew all he needed.

"You're going now?" Zee asked.

"Yeah, I want to get back as soon as possible." Koran replied with an overly used tone of seriousness. He didn't bother to grab his coat this time and just went for the door. "Hmm…" He stopped just short from exiting, noticing his guardian's lack in movement. "Aren't you coming?"

"Nope, you can handle yourself." Zee replied with little care.

Koran smiled again, thinking of how different it was when they first met. _At that time, you wouldn't even leave me alone for a second. _"You're a pretty useless bodyguard aren't you?" He joked as he exited the room.

**XXX**

Ryan walked joyfully on the bustling streets, whistling a tune which fits the air around him. He wore his light, curvy sea blue body and shoulder armor which signifies his involvement with the town's patrol. Twirling his spear, Veho Telum, careful of not to hit the passing by pedestrian, he turned into an alley, his first stop of his weekly watch.

Frustum Alley is a dark mazelike path between Market Square and Simone Avenue. It's also a good place to find pickpockets, muggers and the likes. Its road, situated between buildings is almost always covered in shadows except in the early noon. And it is between these times that the patrols come.

Recently Doyle Inez, more commonly known as, the Bandit King has been spotted here. A spear user like Ryan, Doyle is hailed as the so called king of the underworld in Bama. Every crook and criminals, thieves and murderers alike all held him in high regards as he was the only one of them to have ever killed a knight of the Talon Calvary.

Out of the corner of his eyes, Ryan could see shadows of criminals darting back into the safety of the buildings upon laying sight on his patrol uniform. He had no intention on catching any of them. The only time when a patroller can make an arrest is when the criminal is caught in the act. Though Ryan found this slightly unfair, he was content with being able to keep the bad guys at bay.

Suddenly, he stopped. Years of training and his natural Lycan traits have provided him with superhuman senses and it is now that those exact same senses are telling him something powerful is near.

He readied his spear in as casual a manner as he could so as to not raise the attention of those hidden in the shadows and began moving forward again, albeit this time more carefully as the darkness of the alley beginning to strain his eyes.

His steps echoed through the now empty path. As he was about to make a turn right, he heard voices which once again, made him root himself to the spot. He pokes his head out from the corner he was hiding. Hidden in the shadows of the building were two dark figures. The one furthest in the shadow was unmistakably Doyle. Even in the darkness, his golden hair stood out. The man he was speaking to however was a mystery as his face was covered with a hood and visuals were further hindered by darkness.

Ryan had wanted to jump on them as soon as he had realized that one of them was Doyle but he couldn't. A strong aura came from the hooded man and it immobilized his body with a feeling similar to fear. Instead, he decided to do a little eavesdropping.

"Will you do it?" said the hooded man.

Doyle stayed in silent consideration for a while but finally spoke. "What the heck. Sure, as long as you keep up the end of your deal."

"For this service, most definitely." The two shook hands in agreement and the man went off, sticking close to the shadows till he disappeared.

With the man gone, Ryan's sense of duty told him to go on with his initial and jump Doyle but his instinct told him he had more to learn if he kept listening. And he always trusted his instinct, being animal and all.

"So boss, do you think that guy can be trusted?" asked another man within the shadow, an obvious underling, most likely right-hand man for Doyle.

"Don't know." Doyle replied in a joking manner. "But, we have nothing to lose and their plan seems solid. Besides, if it all works out, we might just earn ourselves a nice little seat in that nice little castle up on the hill."

_A plan to take over the throne? _The thought raced Ryan's mind. He continued to resist his urge to attack and continued to listen.

"So what does he want us to do?" The man asked.

Doyle gave it some thought and said, "He wants us to take the city from the inside out. Once they start, we'll have to cause as much chaos and confusion as possible." At the word 'chaos', his tone brightened up considerably. "Maybe kill a few dozen people while we're at it.

Ryan could distinguish the sick joy in his voice and he was totally disgusted by it. The thought of mass murder seems to delight Doyle. With hatred in his mind and a sense of justice to support it, Ryan jumped out from hiding and gotten into his stance. Doyle turned, apparently not surprised by the sudden appearance of their guest.

"Well look, a patroller just got lost in our forest." Doyle taunted and picked up his spear which was leaning against the wall. His man armed himself with a dagger which he drew from behind.

Ryan raised his right hand which was holding the tail of his spear closer to his face and the left hand with the tip lowered to the ground. It was his self taught stance, a defensive stance.

Doyle seemed intrigued at the thought of fighting another spear user like himself and he grew a sinister yet joyful smile.

Doyle charged and Ryan held his spear steady. An arrow whizzes past him towards Doyle. The bandit rushes forward with his dagger and parried the arrow only to find himself facing two more. Doyle pushes his spear over the bandit's shoulder and using it as a pivot, twirled it in a circle, hitting away one of the arrows. And as if instinct, the bandit dodged down and the second arrow shaved past his head. With great speed, Ryan closes the gap in between them and delivered two fast thrust. Doyle pushes his spear downwards and stuck it to the floor to redirect the first thrust and flung it up overhead to parry the second.

The bandit took the opening and shoved Ryan onto the floor. He raises his dagger for the final blow when a forth arrow knocked the weapon out of his hands.

Doyle, seeing the danger of fighting a ranged enemy called for a retreat. "Sigma, we're going." And the two hightailed out of the alley.

Ryan stood up with help from the archer. He had long figured her identity from the style of shooting. "You would think they're scared of us."

"Well, who wouldn't be? We're the best after all." Yun replied with confidence. "You've been listening in on them haven't you? Did you find out anything?"

"Yeah," Ryan replied, his voice dropping. "I did hear something. Let's get out of here first; I don't want any unwanted attention."

Yun raised a brow. "Such irony."

Star of Destiny

Tensatsu Star, Murderous Star: Zee

Weapon type: Giant broadsword

Weapon name: Twilight

Element: Fire

Left hand rune: Hell Sword Rune


	4. Chapter Three: The Plans Ahead

_The guardians stand steadfast and ready for the impending fall of a country._

Chapter Three: The Plans Ahead

Adam and Blade neared the final gate out of Bama, crossing the trade square on their steeds. The fountain in the centre surrounded by shops houses and carts sprayed a cool mist over the warm air.

The two guard towers connected by a large stone arc stands overlooking most of the Trade District and in between them, the fortified double wooden gates. The door to the left tower swings open and two soldiers dressed in their light off-duty blue armor of the town's patrol walked out, both with their spears strap to their backs.

Adam stopped before the two guards as Blade went forth towards the right tower to give the orders to the soldiers stationed there to open the gates.

"Afternoon Jackson, Kenneth." Adam greeted the two guards. "Where're you guys headed?"

Jackson William, a devilishly handsome young man at twenty eight, two years older than his brother Kenneth, sported a hard spike brown hair and similarly colored eyes. He was much more playful than his brother but takes his position when it comes to being an older sibling very seriously. "Hey Adam. We're headed to the guild house. Ryan just called for a meeting."

"Anything I should know about?" Adam asked.

"I'm sure it's nothing My Lord." Kenneth replied. His hair and eyes were of equal to his brother's but he has chosen a more formal left combed hairstyle than the other. He was too smarter and more serious one of the two. "You've been to some of our meetings haven't you?"

"Yeah," Jackson cut in. "It's most probably just to discuss on changing watch or something."

The Watcher Guild, founded by Ryan, was one of the six guilds in Bama which forms the town's patrol and considered the most elite of the six, providing only the best guards in the city. Membership is only given after a series of sparring tests conducted by the existing members. Currently, there are only fifteen members which included Adam. Blade was not allowed in as he is forbidden to pledge loyalty to both the Royal Knights and the guild. The other guilds include the Archer, Swordsman, Rider, Spearman and Mage Guild which by their names, only have members of the specific trait.

"I see." Adam said. "Well then, I guess I'd better be off now." He pushes his horse forward. "See you later guys."

The two brothers waved back and continued on. Adam turned to watch them until they disappeared into the crowd before making his way towards the once again, awaiting Blade.

**XXX**

Koran packed the remainder of his luggage, which was not much, onto the back of his brown steed. Zee took the crate of provision which he had bought earlier that day and tied them to the back of his own amber horse.

Realizing his rope was too short, he turns to Koran, "Hey, pass me an extension for the rope would you? Koran?"

The boy has stopped packing and was looking towards the direction of the front gate. The setting sun shot long shadows from the people towards the two at the stable beside the First Gate. The silhouette of two teens on horsebacks took their attention as they disappeared behind the blocking wall and out towards their intended destination.

"You alright?" Zee asked in his croaky voice.

"Yeah." Koran replied.

Zee took a look at his companion. "What are you thinking about?"

Koran turns. "Nothing, and it worries me."

"_Remember, you owe me." He remembers his 'master' said a few years ago. His purple themed noble attire was attributed to his status as the lord's advisor. _

"_Yes sire." Koran replied, mouth filled with distaste. He was on his knee, head tilted down. But even so, he could imagine the cocky grin on his master's face. He would have left a long time ago, but he is still indebted to the back stabbing bastard and even strays like him have their honors._

"_Good, now go." The purple mantle fluttered past Koran's face as the man walks. "If all goes well, Bama will fall within days. And then, we can concentrate on summoning Nexus. Well, what are you waiting for? Be on your way." His voice was ecstatic from the excitement of the vision of his plans coming to fruition._

"_At once!" And Koran got up and left._

**XXX**

The meeting room is on the second floor of the guild house. The windows were all opened to allow ventilation. The double door placed on the far left and to the right, two shelves full of books and files which have records of the country's criminals and detail of its history though the document are hardly ever used. In the centre of the room is a long magnificent wooden table surrounded by fifteen chairs which at least half of them were occupied.

Ryan and Yun told the story of their encounter in the alley to those who were present at the meeting. Valentine, Specs, Benjamin and Terry were on patrol and Tad was tending to his farm. Stephanie was busy handling things at her shop, leaving only Max the blacksmith, Kenneth, Jackson, Miguel, Lilay and Roy with Ryan and Yun.

Their seats have all been predetermined by the order in which the members joined. Clockwise from the one closes to the shelf is Ryan, Yun, Stephanie, Specs, Ryan, Terry, Valentine, Kenneth, Jackson, Max, Miguel, Lilay, Roy, Tad and finally, Adam.

Max is the local blacksmith and the self proclaimed best in Aleynonlia but no one ever takes him seriously with the exception of Adam. The prince have him does all the repairs and sharpening of his weapons, claiming that there are none better. Tad, his long time friend had begrudgingly admitted to his skills as a blacksmith at one point. He wears a brown workers shirt with collar and for his bottoms half, he wore long moss green pants and sandals and he always wears a red bandana over his shaved head.

Miguel, Lilay and Roy run a local rune shop together. Miguel is an excellent magician and has on multiple occasions been asked to join the Mage guild but has constantly refused. He practically runs the shop on his own and his two friends are just there to help. His attire is a white shirt and brown coat with blue jeans. He wields a pair of daggers instead of the usual staff like other magicians and they dangle off the holsters of his belt from his back. He has spiked up his black hair with magic to a ridiculous ten centimeters height to as he says it, "Impress the ladies!"

Lilay has been called the weirdest girl in city. She has been known to appear at random time throughout the city, often travelling large distance in a short period. Many thinks she holds a Godspeed Rune which allows people to move extremely fast but in truth, what she has is the power of teleportation which resides in her magical enhanced weapons, her claw gloves. She tries to keep her ability quiet though which isn't hard when you look at her humble personality. She wears her long blond hair in a ponytail. Her top is a white buttoned up sleeve shirt with blue trims and her bottom consists of a blue frill miniskirt and string heels.

Out of the trio, Roy is physically the strongest. His weapon is also unique in the sense that it is a six round revolver, one of the few firearms in the country. He's happy-go-lucky most of the time, but it doesn't mean he can't take care of himself in a fight. He wears a black leather vest over his gray shirt and clack pants. His brown hair is always messy no matter how much he combs it.

"So you're saying Doyle is coming up with a plan to overthrow the king?" Jackson asked.

"No," Ryan corrected. "I think it's more like he's being hired to help."

"That doesn't make sense. Who would want to use bandit in plot like this?" Kenneth voiced his opinion.

"Who knows, maybe this attack won't even happen." Max said.

"Max is right," Kenneth sat back in his chair and puts his hand to his chin, a sign that he is trying to put two and two together. "it's possible that it won't happen, but still, what if it does?"

"Should we alert the Royal Knights? Or at least tell Adam" Roy suggested.

"I don't think that's such a good idea. Adam's meeting with Lottrinbram is too important to divert him away from something like this." Yun said. _Even if he would like that. _"And if this information is true, alerting the guards would heighten the defenses of the city."

"Isn't that what we want?"

"No. If that happens, we won't be able to find out who's behind this. The heighten defense would most likely put the mastermind off from the attack. They'll most likely have people in the city to watch our movement."

"So what are we gonna do now?" Miguel asked.

"The guilds." Lilay said in a soft voice close to a whisper.

"Huh?"

Kenneth leaned back forward again. "The guilds?"

Lilay nodded.

"You want to involve the other five guilds?"

She nodded again.

Ryan, as if he just had an epiphany, exclaimed, "Oh, I get it!" The realization made Lilay smile. She has that kind of effect on people. Making them understand her thoughts with as little words as possible. "Kenneth, Jackson, I want you guys to go tell the other guilds of the situation and tell them to increase the number of patrollers. But tell them not to have everyone wearing the armor; we don't want to attract too much attention."

"Got it boss."

"Will do."

Ryan was now on his feet. "And tell them to keep an eye out for any suspicious characters or activity. If anyone falls under this category, bring them in for questioning. If possible, we'll weed out the scout and make them tell us about the attacker and then we can report to the Royal Knights. Yun and Max, inform the others of the plan when you see them. We'll be increasing our patrols as well."

Ryan was all fired up now. And they all knew nothing was going to stop him other than the passing of time.

Stars of Destiny

Tenken Star, Dagger Star: Miguel

Weapon type: Twin Daggers

Weapon name: Paper Planes

Element: Wind

Left hand rune: Cyclone Rune

Head rune: Gale Rune


End file.
